Here's a Mighty Dupondius of Vespasian

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by John Anthony, Jan 5, 2016.

  1. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Looks like the old boy could smile after all, or is that a sneer?

    vespasian k.jpg
     
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  3. Eng

    Eng Senior Eng

    That's a good lookin' coin Big John.. i think he's pretty happy with himself.;)
     
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  4. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Fantastic! The large bronze pieces often gave the engravers some added scope in imagining the princeps as an overweight, genial ex-soldier.
     
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  5. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    I like your new coin, but, hmmm, I think I've seen one like it somewhere.

    Vespasian 10.jpg
    VESPASIAN
    Æ Dupondius
    OBVERSE: IMP CAES VESP AVG P M T P COS V CENS, radiate head left
    REVERSE: FELICITAS PVBLICA S-C, Felicitas standing facing, head left, holding caduceus & cornucopiae
    Struck at Rome, 74AD
    10.2g, 28mm
    RIC 716, (RIC [1962] 555), Cohen 152, BMC 698
    Ex: J.Q. Adams
     
  6. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Probly chucklin about Eeyore... :D
     
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  7. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Yeah well, mine is ex-Joe Schmoe, so take that!
     
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  8. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    LOL, JQAdams was so righteous, he squeeked...he probably did not know how to smile. :D Your Vespasian did!

    Um, NO disrespect to @Bing 's dupondius... I REALLY like it!
     
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  9. ancientcoinguru

    ancientcoinguru Well-Known Member

    I think it's a smirk
     
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  10. Carthago

    Carthago Does this look infected to you?

    I believe I read somewhere that Vespasian had quite a sense of humor. Wasn't he the one that died while going to the bathroom...like Elvis.

    I could be making this up...
     
  11. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    Very sweet coin!
     
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  12. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    I don't know, but with the band of the crown worn off like it is, it looks like his hair is all spiked up. :p

    Great coin. :)
     
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  13. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Nice!!

    Wow, JA => that's an awesome OP-coin (congrats) ...

    Yup, that coin (and Bing's) both have fantastic eye-appeal (very rugged looking examples)

    :rolleyes::rolleyes:
     
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  14. JBGood

    JBGood Collector of coinage Supporter

    Vespasian with Pax seated.jpg

    Denarius not dupondius but clearly he is a stoic dude.
     
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  15. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Vespasian really has one of my favorite portrait faces; the one on that dupondius is great.

    I've shown my weathered old dupondius probably too often.
    upload_2016-1-6_22-18-3.png

    Here's a portrait that I really like on a denarius that I've not shown before.
    upload_2016-1-6_22-18-43.png
     
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  16. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    My one and only Vespasian is a denarius:

    [​IMG]
    Vespasian, AD 1 Jul 69-24 Jun 79
    AR, Denarius, 3.09g, 18mm; 6h; Rome, Jan-Jun AD 70
    Obv.: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; laureate head right
    Rev.: COS ITER TR POT; Pax seated left on chair without back, branch in right hand, caduceus in left
    Ref.: RIC II, part 1, 29
     
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  17. Collect89

    Collect89 Coin Collector

    It's a smile.

    My Vespasian coin has the smile on the reverse:
    Vespasian Collage.jpg Smile and Capricorns.jpg
     
  18. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

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  19. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    http://www.italiannotebook.com/art-archaeology/vespasian-urinals/
    I fear there may be some among us not aware that the smirk on Vespasian's face on coins around 74 AD most certainly came from his pleasure with the revenues from his Urine Tax. The story is the most often told about Vespasian but in case anyone needs a refresher, the link is above.
    re1310bb1581.jpg

    I selected my dupondius of Vespasian not for what it has but for the two things it lacks (three, if you count condition which you know I don't to any degree). This dupondius does not have the radiate crown so some might think it an as but it also lacks the patina we so cherish on our bronzes so you can see it was made from yellow brass or orichalcum. When new this coin would have shone like a yellow sun as opposed to the red copper asses so the radiate crown was not as necessary. Some of us might even think it was a sestertius since it is as big as some later sestertii but Vespasian's real sestertii were really big rather like those of Galba and Vitellius before him. That is a problem with talking coins online using photos. It is hard to visualize the size of the coins. We can give measurements but there is no set diameter for coins struck without collars and few of us have a good grasp on just how big 27mm or 32mm really is 'in hand'. I do not know why Vespasian issued some dupondii with laureate portraits and some with the radiate crowns but would love to hear your opinions on that one. Why is a hard question to answer (ask any parent of small children) even without a 2000 year gap in time. Titus was a bit embarassed to be profiting from the urine of the populace but his father was probably the most practical man ever to be emperor and he knew (did you read the link?) 'Money does not stink.'

    Excuse me now but I must go and do some laundry. Should I use Clorox or do it in the manner of the Romans?
     
  20. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    Easy rule of thumb (at least for those familiar with US coins): A Kennedy half has a diameter of 30.1mm.
     
  21. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Vespasian, eh? ... hey JA, I'm glad that you were able to flip this OP-coin so easily, my friend (congrats)

    Man, I should have bought that baby from you (it's a sweet coin), but I still only have this one cool denarius example ... I agree that V-dawg has a very collectable-face (he looks like he'd be quite a hard-liner!!)

    vespasian JA photos.jpg

    Hey, JA => thanks again for tweaking my coin's colour (you nailed it, brother)
     
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